Wave-motor.



T. NIXON.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED HABJ, 1910. 978,628.

Patented Dec. 13,1910. T 9- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' ficatio'n, in which similar characters of refer-- UNITED STATES PATENT onrron THOMAS NIXON, OF SANTA CXLIFORNIA.

WAVE-MOTOR.

To all whom "it may concern; I

' Be it known thatI, THOMAS NIXON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of I Santa Barbara, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented a new and Improved \Vave-Motor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is tdprovide novel details of construction for a wave inotor, which adapt the apparatus to receive impulses from wave agitation of a body of water, convert thesetimpulses into reciprocal .niotion 111 a. vertical plane, and thenlnto rotary motion for utilizing the energy developed by the conservation of wave force.

The invention consists in the novel constructionand combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims;

Reference is toibe had to the accompanymg drawings forming a part of thls spec ence indicate corresponding parts in all the views. i t i Figure 1 is a partly sectional side view of the improved wave motor, supportedLin connection with aibody of water for operation by wave agitation thereof Fig. 2 is a partly sectional plan view, of'the supported apparatus, takensubstantially on the line 2-2 in Fig. '1: Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view of novel details, taken substantially on the line 3-3 in Big. 4;; Fig. d is an enlargedpart-ly sectional plan view of the same, substantially on the line 44 in Fig. and F ig. is a horizontal transverse sectional view, substantially on the line For the convenient support in proper relative positions of the operative details of the improved wave motor. a wharf ('iis erected service.

' over a body of water A, the waves of which are to 'be utilized for useful effect.

As shown in Fig. 1, the wharf t consists of' a substantial platforn'iof suitable area, supported horizontally by piles (5 that are subjected to tid al or' wave action.

flotationjin'tlie body of water A, and to conf'tr' s'trength thereto and producetwo spaced 1 aterfiight compartments, two partitions 7 ar eferec ted inth tloatgat equaljdistances Q f from the side walls thereof.

Specification of Letters'ra iit, w t a J 3, 0, Application filed March 4, 1910. Serial he. 547,277. k i

A mast 8 is erected from, the bottom of the stream or body of water A and passes centrally through an opening in the bottom wall 7 b of the float 7, special means for -con-.

faces that are parallel'with each other. The.

vertical mast 8 trends upward above the float and through an opening in the flooring of the wharf 6, the upper endof said mast being stayed by guy rods 8",as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to the connection between the mast 8 and the float 7, this cohsists of the following described parts: A ball 9 is slidably mounted upon the mast 8, and has a central aperture therein, shaped in its defining wall to loosely fit on or over the wings a on the mast. A hollow'casing, formed of four equal segmentslOloosely receives the ball 9, and said segments-thatneatly fit together at their meeting edges,,are given spherical form exteriorly, with theexcepof two sections 11, 11, is provided for loosely. embracing the four segments 10 and holdin them together so that they embrace the bal 9. Each clamping section 11,11, is in the form of a ring having a concavd inner surface and a radial flange 11", ro-

jected froin the lower edge of the ringilre body, said'fianges being seated one upon the other when arranged for service andsecured upon the bottom wall of the fioa't 7 'on its upper or inner side by means of bolts '0. The concavity of. the inner surfacesof the ringshapedclamps 11, 11 issuch, that they will have an intimate engagement with the exterior surfaces of the segments 10, and serv to loosely secure said segments engaged with the float, in a manner which will permit said float toirock in any direction in response to wave action.

Between the ears bon the upperportion of the segments 10, that are disposed opposite in'pairsg" the lower ends of two similar connecting rods 12 are introduced, one between each pair thereof and" are pivotedthereon. as is indicated in Figs. 1. 3 and 4 at I), and

the remaining ears Z) on said upper portions of \thesegments '10 and that are adjacent in pairs, afi'ord support for 'the journal ends of rollers d. The ears I), that are disposed oppositely in pairs at the lower ends of the r-segments' 10, are secured together by pivots of the. connecting rods 1-2, as. shown' in Fig.

1. .Theside plates 6 are bent at their cen-. ters, so as to haveclea'rance from' the' adjacent wingsfla; on the mast-S, and near the other oppositely-disposed pair of wings a,

, said plates are rendered parallel, these portions. receiving two rollers 9 that are pivoted therebetween and r'espectivelyhave contact 0 angle of degrees.

with the flat free outer surfaceof a wing-a,-

this construction beingpclearly. shown in- Fig.'5.

the mast 8, a'nd between the ends ofthe side plates thereof, the ends of the rack bars 13 are insertediand pivoted as-shown at Irin' Fig-Land 1n.th e' samevlew two rollers Y are indicated,"whichhavea loose engage- 'ment with the opposite edges-of the wings a of the mast '8. Theirack bars '13 are disposed parallel with each other byjthe cross eads-14,- 15,-and it will; be apparent=that the rocking movement and perpendicular wave'action sustained by the float 7, w1ll be converted into a vertical reciprocatory move-l ment of the rack bars. Furthermore, it will be noted that the .ball and socket connection between thefloat 7 and mast 8, permits a free verticalreciprocation to wave action. thereon, and also an inclination-of the float in anydirection withinan Upon the wharf 6, a gear-supporting frame is mounted, consisting of parallel timbers 7 that are suitably spaced apart, four of said-frame timbers being shown in i g. 2. Upon the pair of frame timbers 7, that aredisposed near 'to and each slde of the .mast 8, two pairs ofright 'angularlybent bracket arms Z-are secured by their corresponding members, thus-disposing the remaining members of each pairyof arms respectively near to 'the opposite wings a on the mast 8 and also adjacent to the respective rack bars 13, Between each pen of spaced bracket arms Z, a roller-m is ]ournal'ed, that has a bearing upon the vback transmit rotary of. the float due wall 'of an adjacent rackbar 13. between the ends thereof, and thus affords support to the rack bars. Between theframe timbers 7, that carry the bracket arms I, two

spur gears 16 are supported by shafts n,

that are gear frame, said gears respectively meshing .with the teeth ofthe rack bars, as is shown -in Figs. 1 and 2. On the shafts n, which extend at one end of each, respectively, toward the outer frametimbers 7 and are journaled thereon, a large, spur gear. 17 is mounted and secured on each .of-said extensions. and meshing with said large gears are smaller spnr'gears l8,- supported on the gear frame,

motion and power to machinery of any -character,not shown, and thus utilize the power developed by the improved wave motor for useful "efiect.

ournaled in boxes mounted on the a also rotatably [g and that may Having thus described my invention, I

Patent: a

1. The combination with 'ama'st, erected in abody of water subjected tolwaveaction, of a float .in the water',,'a universalljoint connection between the mast and fioat, racl;v .bars' supportedfrom the mast, gearinggeh- I jgaged by the rack barsf'and receiving nio Across head 15, similar to the cross head .14, 'is mounted upon thequpper ,portion of .tioh therefrom. and connections between the rack bars and the universal joint connection.

2, The combination with .a mast erected in a body of .water, sub ected to wave act1on,j-of a float 1n the water, and a universal joint claim as new and des'lreto's'e'cure by Letters connection mounted on the float engaging the mast, said connection being adapted for =vertical and lateral "movement corresponding with such movements of the float,'rack' bar s-,',and connections between the rack'bars- :and the universal joint connection.

; 3.1The combination with a wharf erected above a. body of water that is subjected to waveaction, of a "float in the Water, a mast erected im'the' water and passing through the float and wharf, and atrocka-ble, slidable connection betweenthe mast and the float,

-the said connection comprising a'ball slidable vertically on the mast, a ca mg loosely receiving the ball, and a clamp 'oosely embracing the casing andsecured to the float. 1 5

4. The combination with a wharf erected above a body of water subjected, to wave action, a float in the water, and a mast erected in the water and passing .upthrough the float and wharf,"of a slidable, universal 1 2 joint connection between thev fioat and-the mast, connecting rods'jomted at their lower ends on the uni ersal :joint connection, and rack bars pivoted on the upper ends of-said connecting rodsand supported in parallel 25 planesfrom the intervening mast; 5. The combination with a wharf erected above a body of water subjected to waveaction, a float in the water, and a mast erected in thewater and passing up through i erases upper ends of the connecting rods, across head secuied at its ends onthe lower portions of the rack bars and having rollers a nta t with the mast, and a similar r s h d h ving the ends'thereof secured -on the upper ends of the rack bars and carrving rollers that engage the mast.

6. The, combination with a wharf erected above. a body of water suiijected to wave actio a float in the water, and a mast erected i e wat r and. passing up through the float and wharf, of a universal joint connection held in rockable engagementwith the float and slidable on the mast, two connecting rods pivoted at their lower ends on the 11pne1.-portion of the universal joint connection. two rack bars pivoted at their lower ends on the upper ends of the conting rods, two cross heads respectively se u ed by their ends on the lower and npner portions of th rack bars and disposine' said bars m narallel, vertical planes, rollers carried by the cross heads and having contact with the mast, and gearing on the wharf that engages the rack bars and receives rotary motion'therefrom.

7. The combination with a most erected in a body of water subjected to wave action, of a float. in the water, and a universal'joint connection between. the float and the mast, comprising a spherical ball shdable on the name to this specification in the mast, a plurality of couplin segments thatencompass the ball andare spherical shaped exteriorly. means for connectin together the end portions 7 of the segments, and a clamp formed of twomating ring-shaped sections that looselyembrace the segments, said-sections having a radial flange projected from "each and clamped together on'the bottom wall of the float.

8. The combination with a mast erected in a body of water subjected to wave action, of a float in the water through which the mast passes, a universal joint connection between the float and the mast, comprising a ball slidable vertically on the mast, a casing formed in sections and 100561) receiving the, ball, and a clamp embra'cmg the casing sec-;

tions and secured to the bottom of the float.

9. The combination with a mast erected in a body of water subjected to wave action, of a float in the water, a universal joint connection between the mast and the float, the said connection being held in "rockable engagement with the float and having sliding connection with the mast, a member having guided vertical movement, a connection between the sand member and the universal ]O1Ilt connectlon, and mechanism connected with said member'and' receiving rotary motion therefrom. In testimony whereof I have signed my presence of two subscribing witnesses. THOMAS NIXON. Witnesses:

Gno. E. Snwrnns, JOHN S. Emvsnos. 

